KUALA LUMPUR: A Georgian journalist, Tamuna Museridze, uncovered a deeply personal connection while investigating her own origins. In 2016, she discovered discrepancies in her birth certificate, leading her to suspect she was adopted. Determined to find her biological parents, she created a Facebook group, Vedzeb, dedicated to the search.
During her quest, Tamuna exposed a baby trafficking syndicate in Georgia that affected thousands, reuniting many families in the process. However, the mystery of her own birth continued to haunt her.
“My journalism was also a personal mission,” she said. A breakthrough came when she received a tip about a woman who had given birth in Tbilisi in September 1984. Following this lead, she connected with the woman’s niece, and a DNA test confirmed they were cousins.
With this information, Tamuna located her birth mother. However, the reunion was not as she had hoped. Her mother denied having a child and reacted with hostility. Despite the rejection, Tamuna persuaded her to reveal her father’s identity.
To her surprise, her father, Gurgen Khorava, was already connected with her on Facebook, intrigued by her story but unaware of his role in it. Khorava, a renowned dancer with the State Ballet of Georgia, had no knowledge of Tamuna’s existence, as his relationship with her mother had been brief.
When they finally met, the connection was immediate. “The moment he looked at me, he knew I was his daughter,” Tamuna said. The pair bonded over shared traits and discovered a love for dance that extended to Tamuna’s children.
Tamuna’s mother, however, revealed a painful truth. She admitted Tamuna had not been stolen, unlike many children in Georgia’s trafficking scandal, but pressured her to lie about it. When Tamuna refused, their relationship ended.
Reflecting on her journey, Tamuna said, “It was painful to learn I spent 10 days alone with my mother before being adopted. But despite everything, I would do it all over again. I’ve gained a deeper understanding of my new family.”
